Dental implants are typically packaged and shipped in a package or implant delivery system. The delivery system, in conjunction with outside packaging, maintains the implant in a sterile environment and is opened just before the implant is needed during the surgical procedure.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of one such prior delivery system shown generally at 10. Delivery system 10 includes a vial 12 housing a threaded implant 14 and a driver mount 16.
The vial typically has an elongated cylindrical configuration and is used to transport the implant and driver mount. A lid, not shown, fits on top of the vial to seal and retain the implant and driver mount.
Implant 14 is shown having an external threaded section 18 and a top coronal section 20. The coronal section includes a hexagonal projection 22 for mating with different dental components.
The driver mount includes a bottom portion having a hexagonal recess 24 that engages with the projections 22 on the implant. The driver mount also includes a bottom portion and a top portion having a flange 26. This flange is integrally formed with the top portion and extends outwardly to have a larger diameter than the bottom portion.
The driver mount and implant together fit within a cylindrical cavity formed within the vial. A screw 28 secures the driver mount to the implant. As shown in FIG. 1, the vial includes an internal shoulder 30 with an opening 32. The implant passes through this opening until the flange of the driver mount abuts against the shoulder. The flange and shoulder thus hold the implant and the driver mount in the vial and keep the implant from touching the sides or bottom of the vial.
In order to install implant 14 into the patient's jawbone, an implant site is prepared using conventional surgical procedures. Typically, an incision is made along the gingival tissue at the implant site, and a cylindrical bore is drilled into the alveolar bone. Once the site is fully prepared, a driving tool, such as a motorized dental hand-piece, is connected to the driver mount using an adapter. The implant and driver mount are removed from the vial. The end of the implant is fit within the bore, and the driver mount drives the implant into position. The screw and driver mount are then removed from the implant. The gingival tissue is then sutured and the implant remains within the bone for several months as osseointegration and healing occur. During a second surgical procedure, the implant is re-exposed and a dental prosthesis is affixed to the implant.
One important disadvantage associated with prior art delivery systems is that the driver mount will not fit within some tight interdental spaces. During a single tooth restoration, for example, the implant often must be driven between two adjacent teeth. The distance between these teeth may be narrow, and the flange on the driver mount may be too wide to fit. The driver mount thus cannot be used to fully seat the implant. In such a situation, a second and narrower driver must be substituted for the driver mount having a flange.
Another disadvantage is more surgical steps are required during some implantation procedures using prior art delivery systems. Again, if the interdental space is too narrow then the flange on the driver mount may prohibit the implant from being fully and properly seated in the bone. In this case, the driver mount having an integral flange must be disengaged from the driving tool and then disengaged from the implant. Next, another narrower driver mount must be attached to the implant and then attached to the driving tool. These steps not only add time to the surgical procedure but also increase inconvenience for the surgeon. Further, the risk of contaminating the implant or dropping one of the dental components also greatly increases.
It therefore would be advantageous to employ a dental implant delivery system that could be used in instances when access to the restoration site is narrow or limited in space. Such a delivery system would be more universal and could be utilized even when the interdental space is small.
It would be advantageous to employ a dental delivery system that requires a fewer number of steps during the surgical implantation procedure. A surgical procedure requiring fewer steps ultimately would be less traumatic to the patient, more expeditiously performed, and less burdensome on the surgeon, to name a few examples. Further yet, such a delivery system would minimize the amount of handling of the system components.
The present invention solves the problems discussed with prior dental delivery systems and provides further advantages.